Always her: He Left Before He Ever Knew

Chapter 8: He Walked Into Her Studio

Isabel

"He’s super late, Sofia!" I snapped, my voice echoing off the high ceilings. "Over an hour. I should have had this crate on the truck and been halfway through by now. If he’s not here in five minutes, I'm calling those agency people and telling them what's up."

I just grabbed a fat marker and started scribbling on another box.

My hair was all messed up. Bits were falling out of the clip and getting in my face, and I could feel all that gross warehouse dirt sticking to my skin.

I heard the door above the front door ring as someone walked in.

"Finally," I grumbled . I didn't even bother to look up. I just kept scribbling with the marker. "Tell him the tip is gone, Sofia! He’ll be lucky if I even let him take this stuff after making me wait."

I was waiting for Sofia to speak, like she always does when people make her mad. But all I heard her say was, “Oh!”

"Sofia?" I prompted, finally putting the cap on the marker. "Don't 'oh' him. Just take the bags and show him where the heavy stuff is."

"Isabel..." Sofia whispered.

I looked over my shoulder. She was standing by the printer, not moving. Her mouth was wide open, and she was staring at the door

"It's. it's not the courier."

I wiped my dirty hands on my pants and stood up. I pushed some hair behind my ear and turned around.

And I saw Julian Calloway standing right there.

He leaned against the door frame, looking way too fancy for a Tuesday in basically a junkyard. He wasn't wearing that crazy gala suit; he had on a dark blue sweater. It made his eyes shiny and gold.

Am I late? he asked. He sounded amused, which made my face red with heat.

"Julian," I said.

I knew I looked like a mess. Dust all over me, ink on my thumb, and probably very tired too I felt gross.

"I... I thought you were the delivery guy."

"I figured," he said, pushing off the doorframe. He looked at the big boxes and then back at me. "Do you need some help with these?"

I opened my mouth to say no, to try to seem professional, but Sofia beat me to it.

"Yes, please," she said, finally snapping out of it.

She shot me a look that said ‘Don’t you dare screw it up’.

“The delivery guy is probably still in traffic", she said. “And these need to be out of here ASAP."

Julian looked at me, waiting for me to agree.

“Okay”, I said, waving my hands in defeat.

"Alright," he said, stepping inside.

He moved toward the crates, but as he passed me, he stopped. He hesitated for a fraction of a second, his gaze lingering on my face in amusement.

“What’s wrong?”

“You got a little something on”, he said, pointing at his cheek

I felt heat crawl up my neck. I quickly brought my thumb to my face, rubbing the skin clumsily.

“Allow me”, he said, pulling out a white handkerchief from his pocket.

I froze. My breath caught in my throat as his thumb brushed against my cheek, just below my eye. It was just a light touch, but it felt like a shock.

Our eyes met. Up close, I could see the flecks of gold in his irises and the faint lines of a smile that hadn't quite reached his lips yet. For a second, the studio, the crates, and Sofia vanished.

“There. I got it,” he said casually, pulling his handkerchief back, which now had a streak of black lead from my pencil on it.

I stepped back immediately, my heart hammering against my ribs. "Oh. Right. Thank you."

He handed me the handkerchief.

“You can have it”

I turned my face away, pretending to look at something on a box so he wouldn't see me blushing. I could see Sofia, trying and failing to hide the excitement on her face.

Julian didn't say anything about it. He just rolled up his sleeves, showing off his forearms.

They looked so strong. He was definitely not suited for sitting in offices. Then he helped us carry the boxes to the front.

By the time the actual delivery guy arrived, the heavy work was done. Julian was leaning against the wall, watching the guy load the truck. I was trying to stay calm.

"So," I said, leaning against my desk. I'm guessing you didn't come here just to help two ladies with some boxes. So what brings you here, Julian?

He wiped his hands on a stray cloth and looked at me.

"I want to hire you for a job, Isabel."

I hesitated, the surprise visible on my face.

"You want to hire me? You’ve seen my portfolio."

"I looked up your work after the event, Isabel," he said. "And the world recognizes it too. I’m interested in your designs. I want to work with you."

Before I answered anything, Sofia jumped in.

“We’re currently accepting new clients,” she said, stepping forward with her best 'business partner' smile. “Especially the charming, wealthy kind. We can have an opening in the schedule starting... well, immediately.”

I glared at her, but she acted like she did not notice.

Julian smiled, his eyes turning back to mine.

“I’m currently working on a property downtown. I need someone who understands how to make a large space feel intimate.”

“Downtown? Is it an office? Or a gallery?”

“It’s a hotel,” he said.

A hotel contract. I should have been thinking about floor plans. I should have been thinking of how big a deal it was. But all I could focus on was the way he had looked at me.

I paused for a moment, looking at Sofia. She was practically vibrating with joy. I turned back to Julian, trying to keep my voice steady.

"A hotel is...pretty big," I said. "I think we're up for it. I can call your office tomorrow and we can find a good time to see the site"

Julian nodded, but he didn't look like he was finished. "I was thinking dinner might be better.